But that's exactly the point? Bergomi tracks Cavani until Campbell takes over and then has to run back to Brehme? I really really rate Bergomi defensively, but it's just perfect to give Brehme time and space to do something dangerous, because it clearly says, no one is tracking Brehme until it's too late. Brehme can do so much damage from there with Bergkamp drifting between the lines and Robben making runs into the box.
I'd much rather have Cavani run towards Campbell without the ball while Bergomi can focus on Brehme creating nothing with the ball. If you believe that Brehme can't be a game changer when he doesn't get special attention by the opposing defense from the start, then you clearly haven't watched him enough during his peak. Anto's left wing is clearly a massive problem for Gio, Simeone needs to help out against Brehme or it all falls apart imo (unless Michel is all of a sudden tracking Brehme all the time, then I'd argue that Michel's influence in attack is pretty much gone though) and that makes the central area much more vulnerable.
None of what I said is related to Brehme really, so if you think I underrate him then that is fine. What I said would be the same for any fullback, I rate Roberto Carlos higher than most on here and he was a better attacker than Brehme but it would be the same for him. The point really is how you defend against fullbacks and specifically the fact that a right back can do other tasks whilst also defending against those runs.
Firstly though I think it is quite funny that you came into the thread and said saying how ridiculous it was that posters see the threat of a counter when an attacking fullback gets forward, yet you do see a threat in Brehme exploiting Bergomi moving slightly out of position. So a winger can't exploit a fullback bombing forward, but a fullback can exploit another fullback moving 10 or so yards. Seems silly to me.
For what its worth I agree with you that fullbacks can get forward without it being a liability defensively, but what I don't agree with is the idea Bergomi can't move from that RB area without Brehme capatilising on it. It's just silly really and is nothing to do with how I rate Brehme (highly) but would be the same for any fullback.
Firstly fullbacks don't generally stand in a winger position and tend to be quite a comfortable distance away from the defensive line - the threat fullbacks pose is breaking forward and making that run. They don't start from an advanced position the way a winger does. Why is that relevant? Well simply because it takes them longer to actually run past the defensive line, to breach it and get beyond the defence. If Cavani makes a short, quick run from the left then that is hugely dangerous and as I said before the biggest threat from inside forwards is the element of surprise. If he's pushed right up against Bergomi then Cavani really only needs to take several strides, bend his run and he'll latch onto a through ball - an immediate danger.
In contrast fullbacks need to break forward.. 20 yards? 30 yards? The same immediate threat is not there and the defence can react to that before it creates a clear threatening situation. If Bergomi tracks the immediate run from Cavani (which any right back would do) but the pass gets made to Brehme then whilst he is a good player it is hardly the most dangerous of circumstances - he'll be a good distance in front of the defence, an area of the pitch marshalled by Michel and Simeone, whilst Bergomi makes a 10 yard jog back into position. I don't see a huge threat there.
The risk would be if Brehme could, 1) breach that defensive line the way someone like Carlos always used to, breaking down the flank and then getting a cross in etc 2) cutting in and unleashing a long range shot. The latter isn't relevant here, the whole point you're trying to make is based on Bergomi moving infield i.e. the space is out wide on the flanks and he isn't scoring from there. The first is of course the risk and this is where the point about football being flexible, no one appraoch etc becomes relevant. As I said here Bergomi would just use his common sense and knowledge as a defender to know when to stay and watch Brehme i.e. when the danger is significant and immediate enough to require him to stay out there.
What Gio said is of course spot on - Bergomi is quite comfortably intelligent enough to know when to track a Cavani run or when to stay on the right and watch Brehme.
Point being if Brehme was close enough to immediately exploit any movement infield by Brehme then he wouldn't move. Why would he? If a fullback is just 10 or so yards behind his winger then the right back is never going to move away from that space. I think that is a given really but I guess that is where the confusion has come from. The movement and tracking would come in the occasions where Brehme still has a lot of space to make up - he'll often be starting from a fullback position, especially if Antohan is attacking quickly or countering.
Right backs will do multiple jobs all the time, literally every right back does. They'll attack, they'll watch the winger and they'll watch the left back. You really seem to be arguing that he can't do anything else bar concern himself with Brehme and its just silly IMO. There will be times when the threat of a fullback is so real that he can't move, but in the majority of instances he'll deal with the winger.
I just don't see a huge danger unless Brehme is right up there already (in which case Bergomi wouldn't move). You have to remember also that Cavani's runs are going to be towards goal, so Bergomi is already moving in the safer direction and dropping that defensive line deeper so I just can't see a deep run from Brehme breaching it before Bergomi makes the 10 yard move back over.
and now this beauty:
